Statement from IHS Director Roselyn Tso on President Biden's Apology for Boarding School Abuses

The impact of boarding schools upon the health and well-being of Native American children and families cannot be overstated. The often-forced removal of generations of our children—and the unspeakable abuse endured by them—remains a significant source of the intergenerational trauma that manifests itself in so many of the health disparities that we endeavor to overcome today.

This apology is historic and deeply appreciated. It is a critical measure in finally recognizing the connection between the struggles reverberating throughout our communities today and the responsibilities of the federal government, then and now, to address and heal past wrongs.